Find Out Who Your Friends Are
by WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: Sheldon and Penny have one of the greatest friendships ever, in my opinion.


**I know most songfics are about romance. But friendship is a beautiful thing too. I find it more valuable and wonderful than relationships in a way, since you can have many friends for life, but only one spouse. I am not a shipper of Sheldon and Penny, but their friendship is so sweet I wanted to write about it. Songfic for a friendship. Song by Tracy Lawrence. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Own nothin'**

_Run your car off the side of the road,_

_Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere._

_Or get yourself in a bind, lose the shirt off your back_

_Need a floor need a couch need a bus fare._

She had known she was driving too fast for a bumpy dirt road in the middle of the night, but she hadn't cared until she'd gone too wide on a turn and found herself in a gully. She'd been out of Nebraska too long, hadn't had practice with potholes and driving at night with no lights. Well, now she was paying the price. Stepping on the gas, she heard the discouraging sound of wheels spinning as her lopsided vehicle struggled to free itself. It was no use, and she knew it. She needed help. There was no way she was getting the car out of the ditch on her own. She needed a big vehicle to tow it, but she didn't have the money to get one out there.

Kurt. He had a big truck, and he lived just ten minutes away. Against her better judgment-she _was_ tired and frustrated and desperate, she dialed his number. "Hey, Kurt. It's Penny."

"Hello there, Sexy."

Odd how she used to feel good when he called her that. Now it just creeped her out. "I need help, Kurt. My car's in a ditch, can you come help me get it out?"

"Hmmm. And what do I get in return? Maybe…" he trailed off for the briefest moment. "Maybe I could drive you back to my place, and we can get the car towed _in the morning_."

"Listen, it's late and I'm really stressed out and I just-"

"I can help you with that, too."

She sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead. "No."

"Do you want your car out or not?" His tone changed. Now instead of sounding hopefully seductive he seemed threatening, and Penny backed right off. "Never mind, here comes my boyfriend to help me. I'm so glad you're here, Leonard."

"That leprechaun?" Kurt asked.

"He's a hobbit. Okay, well…he's not a hobbit, but that's what he was…uh…gotta go, Kurt!" She hung up. She was still alone-Leonard was in New Jersey visiting his father-but she had needed to shut Kurt up and she figured mentioning Leonard would discourage him. Bad idea, calling the ex-boyfriend.

_This is where the rubber meets the road._

_This is where the cream is gonna rise._

_This is what you really didn't know._

_This is where the truth don't lie._

Who else could help her? Leonard was three times zones away, as was Bernadette-she and Howard were visiting his aunt in New York. If only Raj could talk to her. If only she had gone with Leonard on his trip. They had decided that visiting his adulterous parent with a waitress girlfriend wouldn't be the best thing. Flipping through her address book, she found Cheryl, her friend and co-worker. Maybe Cheryl would help. She quickly got a hold of her and explained the situation.

"Gosh, I'm really sorry, Penny," she said. "I'm a half an hour away. By the time I got there someone else would have come along."

At least she had tried to be nice in her refusal to help. Penny sighed. It began to rain.

_You find out who your friends are._

_Somebody's gonna drop everything_

_Run out and crank up their car._

_Hit the gas, get there fast_

_Never stop to think, "what's in it for me?" or "it's way too far."_

_They just show on up with their big old heart._

_You find out who your friends are._

So Kurt was without a girlfriend at the moment. Penny drummed her hands on the steering wheel as the rain hit the windshield and ran down to the hood. Sure that jerk cheated like rabbits reproduced, but he did his cheating during the day, while the unsuspecting girlfriend was at work. This was the dead of night, and he would never have suggested hooking up with her had he been spoken for.

That jerk. When they'd begun their relationship she was a young, aspiring actress who was open to anything. Over time her lack of success had intensified her exterior locus of identity and made her all the more submissive to the man. But she'd outgrown that, and in turn outgrown Kurt.

_Everybody wants to slap your back_

_Wants to shake your hand_

_When you're up on top of that mountain._

_But let one of those rocks give way and then you slide back down-look up_

_And see who's around then._

She tried a few more 'friends'. All of them rattled off excuses. "Please!" She'd begged Rochelle. "It's raining and I'm stuck and I can't trust any old car that comes by!"

"Sorry, Penn, I'm drunk." Rochelle said. Rochelle didn't drink.

Was it that big of an inconvenience that _no one _was willing to drive out and help her, or at least take her home?

_You find out who your friends are._

_Somebody's gonna drop everything_

_Run out and crank up their car._

_Hit the gas, get there fast_

_Never stop to think, "what's in it for me?" or "it's way too far."_

_They just show on up with their big old heart._

_You find out who your friends are._

If only Leonard was here. How come on the rare occasion she got into trouble he wasn't around? The night she'd dislocated her shoulder she'd wanted him there so badly but he was out in the desert, and she'd had to rely on Sheldon to…_Sheldon_. Sheldon! Of course! Sheldon hadn't known how to comfort her, and he'd been such an ass at the hospital…but he'd done it. She wasn't the easiest person to deal with when she was in pain, or just when she was around Sheldon, but he'd come through for her.

_When the water's high_

_When the weather's not so fair._

_When the well runs dry_

_Who's gonna be there?_

"Hey, Sheldon."

"I believe that this is a situation where I should rhetorically ask you if you know what time it is."

"Shut up and listen to me. I was driving home and took a corner too fast and ended up in the ditch. I need you to come and get me." She hoped that he understood that she wouldn't ask him to leave his room, get out of his Friday Pajamas, get dressed, and come get her in the rain-altering his routine immensely-unless she needed a friend.

_You find out who your friends are._

_Somebody's gonna drop everything_

_Run out and crank up their car._

_Hit the gas, get there fast_

_Never stop to think, "what's in it for me?" or "it's way too far."_

_They just show on up with their big old heart._

_You find out who your friends are._

"My Meemaw once got stuck in a ditch," Sheldon told her. "It was awful."

"Sheldon," Penny said impatiently. "I'm so sorry that that happened, but do you think you could help me?"

There was a pause. Then-"Okay."

She was surprised. "Really?"

"Penny, you have stated that we are friends. You are now asking me a favor, correct?"

"Yes…"

"And in doing so you are interrupting my sleep. However, a favor of mine once interrupted your morning prayers, am I accurate? Don't answer, of course I am. Where are you?"

She told him.

_You find out who your friends are._

_You find out who your friends are._

Sheldon took friendships seriously. He may be Dr. Wackadoodle, unable to understand many social situations, but hey, even a _Homo novus_ could have friends. And he did have friends.

Penny was grateful to be one.

**Hope you can like this no matter who you ship. Let me know if that's possible-review! **


End file.
